There are a lot of people on the water this year because boating and all of the recreational activities associated with it are fun.

Whether people are into fishing, swimming, sailing, boat camping or being on the water for a cruise down the lake, boating is becoming increasingly popular every year on the state’s waterways.

There are a lot of first-time boat buyers, and buying a boat should be an exciting and enjoyable experience, and it can be, with a little planning and thought.

Today’s fishing boat buyer has more choices than ever. Though some buyers are intimidated by the choices, they don’t need to be. They can help themselves find a boat that’s just right before leaving home.

Issues like hull design, outboard size, features and options are all factors in finding a boat and can be determined in advance.

What kind of fishing planned and what kind of waters will be visited most will help you decide.

For example, if you like to fish for bass and usually fish small lakes, a modified V-hull aluminum boat will be fine.

However, if you want to fish in tournaments, you might consider a performance fiberglass boat that will provide great range and speed. If you like to fish for walleye, you would be happy with a deep-V hull.

Today’s buyer will find boats with an outboard motor, trailer, trolling motor, fish locator and other accessories. The bottom line: Every buyer can help themselves by assessing what they want. This will help them narrow their choices and stay within their budget.

One type of boat growing in popularity is the pontoon. This versatile boat fills the bill for many families.

The reasons are numerous. The pontoon lets the angler fish in comfort and can be used for a cruise down the lake or anchor in a cove for a family picnic on the water.

Charles Sanders, of Springfield, bought a pontoon boat this spring.

“That was one of the best things I ever did,” he said. “We have used the boat every week since I got it. If we aren’t fishing, we are swimming, skiing or just cruising down the lake. We fish Table Rock a lot and also my kids enjoy swimming from the boat, so it will get a lot of use.”

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Sanders told of a friend who had a pontoon who would take clients aboard for a luncheon meeting.

“I had them just where I wanted,” Sanders recalls his friend saying. “When we talked business, they knew if things didn’t work out just right, they might have to swim back.”

On a recent fishing trip with Charlie Campbell, we talked about how much boating has changed since we fished tournaments. Back then, if you had a 50-horsepower motor, you were at the top of the world, as most other boats were powered by a 25-horsepower outboard motor.

There were no livewells — you had to keep your fish on a stringer. There were no electronics to assist you in locating fish. It was a much different world.

There are lots of places to go fishing and boating in southwest Missouri, from the many cool and clear float streams to one of the big impoundments including Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Stockton, Pomme de Terre and the Lake of the Ozarks.

Nixa resident Jim Moore said he never saw so many boats on Table Rock Lake as he did last weekend.

“While we were camping, I watched all the activity on the water and started counting the different kinds of boats, and to my surprise, I counted 11 different kinds of boats,” he said. “There were bass boats, canoes, kayaks, pontoons, sailboats, rowboats, runabouts, houseboats, johnboats, paddle boats and ski/fishing boats.

Surrounded by rolling hills and great scenery, the waters in the Ozarks provide a spectacular view from a boat that’s cruising down the lake or stream.

The area is known as an angler’s playground for its wide variety of fish. The large impoundments are host to many fishing tournaments.

So when you are out on your favorite lake this summer and it seems there are more boats than ever, you are right. Boating is big business.